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17 February 2004. Pichugin's lawyers announce that he is in "catastrophic health", that he has lost 4 kg in two weeks, and that investigators and the remand centre administration are refusing to allow defence-nominated independent doctors to visit him and form a proper conclusion as to his health. 13 April 2004. The Basmannyy Court further remands Aleksey Pichugin in custody until 19 June, thereby upholding a request from the Procuracy General. 21 May 2004. The Basmannyy Court imposes a deadline for the defence's familiarisation with the case (which runs to over 7,000 pages). Pichugin and his lawyers have until 4 June 2004. This ruling is issued at the Procuracy General's request. 25 May 2004. PACE special envoy Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger meets Pichugin's lawyer Kseniya Kostromina and his wife Tatyana at the German embassy in Moscow. They discuss violations of Pichugin's human rights in the course of the investigation. 4 June 2004. Pichugin completes his familiarisation with the charges against him. 11 June 2004. The Procuracy General endorses the indictment against Pichugin and forwards the case to the Moscow City Court. Appendix 4 Timeline of court hearings in the Aleksey Pichugin case 25 June 2004. It emerges that the case has been labelled "secret" on the advice of the Procuracy General. Procuracy spokesmen talk of the presence of classified documents. Defence lawyers counter that only 60 of the 7,000 pages on file are classified, and that during their familiarisation with the case these papers were not marked as secret. They assert that the intent is to have the court sit in camera; this would exclude the public and the media, and conceal procedural violations during the pre-trial investigation and also the lack of proof of Pichugin's guilt. 27 June 2004. The presence of classified documents in the case prompts Judge Natalya Olikhver to rule that it will be a closed trial. Pichugin's lawyers apply for Olikhver to be removed from the case, on the grounds that the defence doubts her impartiality. The application is rejected. 28 June 2004. The Moscow City Court also rejects the defence request for the judge to be removed. Judge Olikhver herself finds no grounds to step aside. 29 June 2004. During closed court hearings ahead of the trial itself, Pichugin's lawyers apply for an open trial. They also reaffirm an earlier application for a jury trial. Pichugin himself asks the court to allow him to familiarise himself with the file of secret papers that has appeared in the case since it reached court. The Moscow City Court rejects the defence application for removal of classified documents from the case. The defence asked for this because they had been unable to examine their content, since they were included in the case after it reached court. On the same day, the court refuses to release Pichugin on bail. It thus rejects a defence application for remand on any terms other than in custody.
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